During the 2008 Summer Games, Beijing severely curtailed its emissions to create cleaner air for the athletes to breathe. Looking back, we have a perfect example of what fewer emissions means for the environment.

Scientists at CalTech are developing a technique that converts water, air, and sunlight into different kinds of fuel that could power everything from car engines to fuel cells in cell phones. It sounds almost too good to be true.

Westerners like you and me are the alpha consumers of the global marketplace — never in the world's history have humans ever had so much. Which sounds awesome, except we know now that everything we consume comes with the cost of the carbons emitted to produce it.

Now, if the world were fair, we'd be the ones eventually footing that bill. But you know what they say about life, and this vitally important map shows exactly how true that old saw is. The ones least responsible for climate change are also the ones who pay the most dearly.